Equus' Body Language Chart
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1EQ CHART OF
EQ
THE MONTH
Body language
our horse cannot communicate
Y
with words, but you can tell a
great deal about what he’s feeling by
observing his stance and his most
Physical clues to your horse’s moods.
expressive body parts.
EMOTIONAL
HEAD
EARS
EYES
NOSTRILS MUZZLE
LEGS/
TAIL
OVERALL
EMOTIONAL
HEAD
EARS
EYES
NOSTRILS MUZZLE
LEGS/
TAIL
OVERALL
STATE
& NECK
FEET
STANCE
STATE
& NECK
FEET
STANCE
angry/
neck out-
closed
stomping,
swishing
pinned
pursed
annoyed
stretched,
to slits
striking,
“snaky”
kicking
droopy
bored/
head down
held at
slack
inactive,
low, still
slack
at rest
“half mast”
disengaged
challenging
head and neck
extremely
focused
flared,
active:
prancing
held high,
tense, collected
stretched up
active
active
lipping,
swishing
and out, may
chewing
move slowly
back and forth
content/
open,
casual,
head held
neutral
relaxed
relaxed but engaged
satisfied
steady, neither
unfocused
one foot
with some
high nor low
may be
casual
cocked
movement
curious
head and
intently
intently
sniffing,
pursed
held up
moving stiffly
squarely
neck extended
pricked
focused
blowing
planted
toward object
forward
of curiosity
expectant
head shakes,
restless,
switching
restless
darting
dilated,
quivering
lip smacking,
neck “snakes”
pawing
attentive
vocalizing
fearful
head turned
fixed on
stands
wide open
alternately
clamped
crouches, backs up
toward source
source or
with whites
frozen or
flared and
or wheels away and
showing,
of fear, neck
flicking if
flees
snorting
presents hind end
fixed on
pulled in
source has
defensively
source
not been
identified
submissive
head held low
held at
averted
low, clamped
placid
and averted
“half mast”
with lip
smacking or
chewing in
foals and
yearlings
uncertain
head up,
flicking
darting,
quivering
may be
tense, alert,
neck tense
rapidly back
focus
frozen in
possibly sweating
and forth
unfixed
place or
moving
around
gingerly
28
d e c e m b e r
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E Q U U S
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